Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education statutory guidance (2026)

In brief

Department for Education statutory guidance on Relationships Education (primary), Relationships and Sex Education (secondary) and Health Education in England, published July 2025 and in force from 1 September 2026, replacing the 2019 guidance. Schools must have regard to it and need good reasons to depart from what it says they should or should not do. On sex and gender, it requires pupils to be taught the facts and the law about biological sex and gender reassignment. That teaching should recognise that people have legal rights by virtue of their biological sex that differ from the rights of people of the opposite sex who have the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, and that people with that protected characteristic are protected from discrimination and should be treated with respect and dignity. It also tells schools not to endorse any particular view where there is significant debate, not to teach as fact that all people have a gender identity, and to integrate same-sex relationships content into secondary teaching rather than delivering it as a standalone unit or lesson.

Key provisions

• ¶¶4–5 — Status: statutory guidance, a duty to have regard : Statutory guidance issued under s.80A Education Act 2002 and s.403 Education Act 1996; schools must have regard to it, and need good reasons to depart from the parts that say they should or should not do something
• ¶12 — Written policy, developed with parents : Every school must have an up-to-date written policy for relationships education or, where it teaches sex education, for RSE, developed and reviewed in consultation with parents, provided free of charge on request and published on the school website
• ¶¶16–21 — Parental withdrawal from sex education : Parents may ask to withdraw a pupil from sex education only; a primary school head teacher must grant the request, a secondary head teacher may refuse in exceptional circumstances; from three terms before turning 16 a pupil may opt back in; there is no withdrawal from relationships education, health education or science
• ¶52 — External providers and resources : Schools remain responsible for content; external resources should be accurate, age and stage appropriate and unbiased; schools should be particularly cautious about resources from organisations with a strong partisan view on a contested topic, should ask to see materials and a lesson plan in advance, and should seek parents' views
• ¶¶55–58 — Openness with parents : Schools should engage parents proactively, show them a representative sample of resources and ensure they can view all RSHE curriculum materials on request; parents cannot veto content; schools should not agree contractual restrictions on showing parents content, and clauses that seek to prevent a school sharing any material at all with parents are void and unenforceable
• ¶¶64–65 — Equality Act duties : Schools must comply with the Equality Act 2010, including the public sector equality duty where it applies (independent schools that are not academies are not subject to it), and must ensure RSHE topics are taught in a way that does not discriminate against pupils or amount to harassment
• ¶¶67–68 — Sexual orientation and gender reassignment content : By the end of secondary education pupils learn about all protected characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender reassignment; primary schools are strongly encouraged to include same-sex parents when discussing families; secondary schools should integrate same-sex relationships content into RSHE programmes of study rather than deliver it as a standalone unit or lesson, and cover sexual health in a way that is relevant for all pupils
• ¶69 — Facts and the law: biological sex and gender reassignment : Pupils should be taught the facts and the law about biological sex and gender reassignment; this should recognise that people have legal rights by virtue of their biological sex which are different from the rights of those of the opposite sex with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, and that people with that protected characteristic have protection from discrimination and should be treated with respect and dignity. The paragraph does not define biological sex
• ¶¶70–71 — Neutrality beyond the facts and the law; respect : Beyond the facts and the law there is significant debate, so schools should be careful not to endorse any particular view or teach it as fact, and should not teach as fact that all people have a gender identity; schools should avoid language and activities that repeat or enforce gender stereotypes and any suggestion that social transition is a simple solution to feelings of distress or discomfort; pupils should be encouraged to express views respectfully, and bullying or disrespectful language or behaviour is never appropriate
• ¶72 — External resources on this topic : Where schools use external resources they should avoid materials that use cartoons or diagrams that oversimplify the topic, that could be interpreted as aimed at younger children, or that perpetuate stereotypes or encourage pupils to question their gender; schools should consult parents in advance on the content of external resources on this topic and make all materials available on request

When relevant

When reviewing or advising on a school's RSE or RSHE policy, curriculum content, external resources or communications with parents about LGBTQIA+ content. When a school must balance teaching about gender reassignment with the expectation of neutrality on contested questions. When parents ask to withdraw a pupil or to see teaching materials. Read alongside Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 (KCSIE-2026), which governs individual decisions about pupils who are questioning their gender; this guidance governs what is taught. It applies to maintained schools, academies, free schools, independent schools and alternative provision in England (¶7); health education does not apply to independent schools (Annex A).